This letter was written by an unidentified sailor in the U. S. Navy on board the U.S.S. North Carolina — a 74-gun ship of the line launched in 1820 that was anchored at the Brooklyn Naval Yard in 1864 and used as a receiving ship. The sailor’s initials were J. H. R. and he wrote the letter to his father but no other clues are to be found in the letter that would aid in his identity. Thousands of sailors began their career on the North Carolina where they received their training before assignment to a ship.
Remarkably the sailor tells his father that as many as 1700 men were on board the North Carolina awaiting ship assignments in April 1864.
TRANSCRIPTION
Receiving Ship North Carolina
[Brooklyn Naval Yard]
[Sunday,] April 23rd 1864
Dear Father,
I hope this will find you well as it leaves me. Once more we are on the North Carolina. On Tuesday [19 April] the Chemung went into the Navy Yard and on Wednesday [20 April] we unloaded all her stores and then the crew came on board the North Carolina. I don’t know what they will do with us yet. We are divided into two messes and our muster roll is kept separate from the rest of the men. There is about 1700 men now on board. They said that our crew was to go on the sloop-of-war Ticonderoga which came in two days ago [21 April] and that our captain was to take command but she is got to get repairs so I guess we won’t go on her.
The Pensacola — flagship of the Mississippi Squadron — came into the yard yesterday.
The bounty is bringing the men in pretty fast. They average one hundred daily. There is a draft most every day or they would soon be crowded out. There is any quantity of double enders ¹ lying in the yard and I shouldn’t wonder if some of us at least are drafted for one of them.
We had a great funeral in Brooklyn last Monday [18 April]. In the morning, eight men — myself included — had to go on shore and dig a grave for 23 men that died at the hospital. After dinner, 25 of us went to the funeral. ² The Freemasons turned out and we had the North Carolina’s band. They were all buried but one in the burying ground at the back of the hospital outside of the Navy Yard walls. One of the engineers we escorted to Fulton Ferry which was the first time I was on shore since I shipped. We were all pretty tired when we got back.
I should like you to send me a little money if you could. There is no telling how long we may stay on board here but I hope not long. Goodbye for the present. Your affectionate son, — J. H. R.
¹ A “double ender” was a steamship with two large waterwheels. See Waud’s sketch.
² There were at least 987 sailors or marines buried in the Naval Hospital Cemetery on the outskirts of the Brooklyn Navy Yard between 1831 and 1910. Their bodies were exhumed in 1926 and transferred to the Cypress Hills National Cemetery in Brooklyn. The former cemetery has now been transformed into park. The following link has a list of the names of sailors who died at the hospital, including those that died in April 1864. See: Geismar Naval Cemetery.
Spared & Shared 13 